On Monday, June 11, the City of Valdosta partnered with the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts to host the Opening Reception for 10th annual Valdosta People's Choice Photo Contest. The reception brought in more than 250 people.

The contest is sponsored by the law firm Coleman Talley, LLC and invites photographers—whether amateur or professional—to capture the beauty of life in Valdosta in photographs. All of the photos were taken within the Valdosta City limits.

This year more than 80 photos were submitted and are now on display in the Turner Center’s Tillman Gallery. For the next four weeks, the public is invited to view the framed, displayed photos and vote on their favorites. You can visit the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts on Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Overall winners will be announced at the 10th Anniversary Awards Reception which will be held at the Arts Center on Monday, July 16, from 5- 7 p.m. A $300 cash prize will be awarded for first place, $200 cash prize for second place, and a $100 cash prize for third place from among the adult-submitted entries. Five honorable mentions will also be selected.

The public will also vote on the first place youth photo (ages 16 and under) and one honorable mention. The youth first place winner will receive a $100 cash award.

All award winners and honorable mentions will have their works professional framed with an engraved nameplate. The photographs will remain on display in the Tillman Gallery through Wednesday, July 25, at which time they will become part of a traveling display that can be viewed from August until December 2018 in various communities.

For more information, call the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts at 229-247-2787 or the city's Public Information Office at 229-259-3548.